Changeable display device



Ays.

ug., 27, W35.. E. M. KUNG CHANGEABLE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed June 5, 1954 nvenToT Elmer {VH/Hin bym " UNITED-STATES Patented Aug. `27, 1935 IAATENT4 OFFICE cHANGEABLEDIsPLAY Diivroii. yElmer M.Kling, Newton Center, Mass. Applicationr June '5, 1934, Serial No. 729,054 2 claims.' (c1. io-64) This invention relates to a device for displaying indicia of that character in which changes have to be made from time to time in the indicia displayed. A leading example of such a display device is the Well-known price sign for displaying information With respect to the price of gasoline sold Vat filling stations. Itis essential in such devices that the means employed for indicating the price information shall be of a simple and durable character and capable of being readily and accurately changed by unskilled persons.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple and eilicient construction of such a changeable display device, having a minimum number of changeable elements, readily and easily assembled to conform to any desired change in the indicia displayed and of a strong and durable character.

These and other objects and features of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claims. l

The drawingillustrates twoforms of the invention as embodied in a gasoline price sign.

In the drawing: i

Fig. 1 isa side elevation of the price sign detached from its mounting.

Fig. 2 is a View in horizontal cross section of two sets of one form of the indicia-carrying plates employed in the device.

Fig. 3 is a vertical central cross sectionof the frame shown in Fig. 1 with two sets of indicia- Vcarrying plates therein of the construction shown in Fig. 2 and taken on a line corresponding to `3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a second "form of indicia-carrying plates employed in the device.

Fig. 5 is a detail in cross section through one `form of the plate securing devices. z. l

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 of fa second form of the plate securing devices.

The display device comprises a suitable rectangular frame with the details of construction of which the present invention is not concerned. The only essential of this frame is that it shall .be of suitable, strong, and durable construction,

.provided at one vertical edge with a bracket I by which it is connected to a suitable support while vthe opposite vertical edge is the edge provided with the removable closure. This frame is illustrated as having both side walls open and the in- 5 `dicia-carrying plates are arranged so that the indicia are displayed at` each side ofthe frame, `this being the usual practice in such display devices as gasoline price signs, but it is obvious that if indicia are to be displayed at but one side of the 10 frame, it will be suflicient for that side wall to be open `and for the indicia-carrying plates to be arranged accordingly.

When, as in the case of gasoline price signs, the device is exposed tothe weather, if the indicial5 carrying plates are of pasteboard or other material which would be injured by rain or other weather conditions, the open side wall or walls of the frame .are protected by plates of glass or other suitableA transparent material in the usual manner. "Such transparent plates are not illustrated because they are well known and familiar in this art and are not required if the indiciacarrying plates are of metal or other waterproof material.

The sheet metal rectangular frame illustrated comprises the two rectangular metal side walls 2 each presenting a rectangular display opening. These side walls are secured together and held properly spaced at the top and bottom by the channel members 3V and 4. 'Ihe left-hand vertical edge `is shown closed by a suitable plate 5 andthe top edge is further closed .by a cap 6. The right-hand edge of the frame is provided with a suitable removable closure 1.

Especially when the glass or other transparent plates coveringthe openings in the side walls of of the frame is provided with a series of openings 8 to drain off any water which may enter the 40 frame.

'I'he invention is particularly concerned with the indicia-carrying plates which, when the display is to be made at both sides of the frame, as illustrated, are made and assembled so that the same indicia' are displayed at each side of the frame.

Two speciiic forms of the indicia-carrying feature are illustrated as preferred embodiments of the broad principle of the invention.

i In the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5, there is provided a main plate 9 of a size to be inserted into the frame through the open edge and to cover the opening in the side wall. This plate is preferably provided at one end of its face opiliary plates from the main posite the frame Wall opening with the indicia which remain unchanged or are very seldom changed, such, for example, as in the case of a gasoline price sign with the words Gas, Tax, Total, A plurality of auxiliary plates are removably mounted on this main plate and so disposed as to present the required indicia opposite the frame wall opening. In this first form of the invention three such plates, l0, Il, and I2 are shown overlapping each other and the main plate and removably secured at the right-hand end of their juxtaposed portions by suitable securing devices. One form of securing device is illustrated in Fig. 5 comprising a stud i3 rhaving a hollow internally threaded shank and a cooperating stud lll having an externally threaded shank by means of which the main and auxiliary plates may be secured and clamped' together. The number of these auxiliary plates depends upon the indicia required to be displayed. In the particular construction illustrated, the exposed portion of the plate Vl!) carries the integers of the price, that is, in theillustrated case, 16 `oppositeGas, 4 opposite Tax, and 20 opposite Total. The exposed portion of the auxiliary plate ,Il carries any desired fractional or other indicia such as g, T16, while the exposed portion of the auxili'ary plate l2 carries a tabulation, such, ior example, as that illustrated, which shows the cost for anyV required number of gallons based upon the total displayed cost for a single gallon.

It will thus be seen that when any change is made in the price, the operator removes the set of plates from the frame, disconnects the auxplates, and substitutes or changes the set of auxiliary plates to comply with the new condition, secures the plates together and reinserts them in the frame. When, as is usual, the display is made at both sides of the frame, two sets'of plates areemployed, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and the other set indicated as a whole at l5 is inserted in the reverse direction in the frame.

As further illustrating the scope of the invention,ranother form of a set of display plates is illustrated in Fig. 4. In this form there is a single main plate l@ common to the two sets'of plates having at .opposite ends the reversely exposed portions H and I8 each carrying the same indicia which are to remain unchanged, such,

for example, as Gas, Tax, -Total. The required number of auxiliary plates are duplicated in reverse order at opposite sides of the main plate and are secured tothe opposite ends of the vmain plate. Thus the auxiliary plates I9 and 2B, 2l and 22, 23 and 24 yare in duplicate and each pair carry the same indicia. In the suggested case i9 and 2i! would carry indicia similar to l0; 2li-and 2i similar to Il; and 23 and`24 similar to l2. The set ofv overlapping auxiliary plates I9, 2i and 23 are removably secured at the right hand end of their juxtaposed portions to the vright hand end of the main plate i6' and the set 2Q, 22, 24 are similarly secured at the opposite side to the lefthandend of the main plate.

Another form of securing device is illustrated in Fig. 2 and in detail in Fig. 6 consisting of an 'ordinary' McGill fastener having a head 25 and bent fastening prongs'26. But in either form of the invention the overlapping plates are provided desirednurnber and width of changeable plates and one in which the indicia-carrying plates may be made of any suitable material either waterproof, and therefore requiring no glass or other Atransparent plates in the frame, or non-waterproof and suitable to be used with the usual Vtransparent or glass plates.

Having thus'described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is;

1.' A changeable display device comprising a rectangular frame having an open side wall spaced from the opposite wall and an open edge provided with a removable closure, a main plate of a size to be inserted into the frame through the open edge and to cover the opening in the side wall and having at one end on its face opposite the frame wall opening an indicia-com taining section and at the opposite end a plurality of securing apertures, a plurality of successively'shorter auxiliary 'plates each having at one end an indicia-containing section and at its opposite end a plurality of securing apertures registering with those of the main plate, the said auxiliary plates arranged, when overlapped and superposed on the non-indicia-containing section of the main plate, also to present their indicia opposite the frame wall opening, and securing devices cooperating with the registering `apertures of the main andy auxiliary plates to secure the said assembled plates into a compact unit readily insertable into'and removable from the frame through the open edge thereof.

2. A changeable display device comprising a rectangular frame having spaced apart open side 'walls and an open edge provided with a removable closure, a main plate of a size to be inserted into the frame through the open edge and to cover the openings in the side walls, having an indicia-containing section at each face but at opposite ends opposite the framewall opening, and having at each end a plurality of securing apertures, two similar sets of a plurality of successively shorter auxiliary plates each having at one end an indicia-containing section and at its Yopposite end a plurality of securing apertures registering with those of the main plate, each of said sets arranged when the plates of the set are overlapped and superposed on one of the 

